ISU, State of Iowa Receive NRCS Funding for Biomass Research Effort

Iowa State University (ISU) teams involved in biomass research projects recently received funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

"This is a big win for the state of Iowa and ISU," said Robert Brown, director of ISU's Office of Biorenewables Programs. "Not only can the use of biomass decrease our nation's dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, it also has great potential to boost Iowa's economy by developing value-added products from Iowa's most important resource: agricultural crops. These awards also confirm ISU's leadership in developing bio-based products."

The Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, or CSET, a member of ISU's Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT), received $1 million from NRCS to research production of biopolymers from distillers' dried grains, a byproduct in the production of ethanol from corn. "Development of value-added products from these grains will be critical to the future profitability of the corn ethanol industry," said Brown, CSET director, the ISU Bergles professor of mechanical engineering and a professor of chemical engineering.

Past efforts to turn distillers' dried grains into other products have proven too costly for commercial applications. Brown and his research team will investigate a different, three-step process that they hope will prove to be more cost effective. First, high-value compounds such as proteins and carbohydrates will be extracted from the grains. The remaining residue is then gasified into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Lastly, the carbon monoxide is fermented to create a class of polymers known as polyhydroxyalkonates, or PHAs, polyesters that have potential applications in the manufacture of biobased plastics, synthetic fibers and films.

Partners in the project include South Dakota State University and Midwest Grain Processors, Lakota, Iowa, one of the largest farmer-owned ethanol plants in the country. The project builds on research supported by the Biorenewable Resources Consortium at ISU and the Iowa Energy Center.

The grants are part of the Bush Administration's effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of additional renewable energy resources.

Article courtesy of Wisconsin Ag Connection.  Image: Institute for Physical Research and Technology at Iowa State University. courtesy of Institute for Physical Research and Technology.